Chapter 468: He Told Us to Clean Up Thoroughly

TL: FoodieMonster007

"Are you sure about this?" Lim Hyuk asked worriedly.

Geum Arin had immediately started drafting a contract after returning from her meeting with Geom Mugeuk. It was a clean document with no hidden intentions. It simply stated she would pay two million taels to join hands with them.

"Am I okay? I'm doing something crazy."

Lim Hyuk felt a sense of relief at her answer. At least she had a proper grasp of the situation.

"Why do you trust him so much?"

The answer was a single word.

"A hunch."

Her writing hand paused for a moment.

"I didn't know it either. That I'd end up deciding my fate based on a hunch."

Contrary to her words, she began to finalize the contract with a look of conviction in her eyes. The moment Geom Mugeuk signed it, she would have to give him two million taels.

The lifeblood of the merchant world was credit. Even though it was a secret organization, as long as its leader was the daughter of the Golden Dragon Clan Patriarch, it was the same as a contract with the Golden Dragon Clan.

"To pay two million taels, we'll have to combine this year's operating funds with all the profits our organization has earned. Even then, it might not be enough."

"I'll pay it even if I have to borrow from a private lender."

Lim Hyuk said worriedly, "The second brother won't just let this be."

"I suppose not."

Objectively, anyone would consider this decision rash, not just her second brother.

She lifted her head and looked at Lim Hyuk. "Do you think so?"

Although he had yet to see even a sliver of their martial arts, Lim Hyuk recalled Hwi. The look in his eyes and his calm advice were not things that could be easily quantified by money.

"No, I don't."

That was why Lim Hyuk respected her hunch. The feeling Geom Mugeuk gave her must have been similar.

"Right, I don't either."

Geum Arin revealed her choice was aimed at something much further down the road.

"I made my decision when he said he would be firmly on my side. I decided to use them to become the successor."

Lim Hyuk thought that what was inevitable had finally arrived. She had always kept a step back from the succession battle of the Golden Dragon Clan.

Until now, she had only been watching her two Orabeoni fight from the other side of the river. Now, a woman like her was about to jump into the succession battle in earnest.

She had described it as a hunch, but this was surely the pull of destiny.

"Take this, get it signed, and pay them," she said, holding out the completed contract.

"What I bought with two million taels wasn't our lives, nor was it the Western Blade Sect. It was the position of successor."

"I've brought home the money!"

Geom Mugeuk placed three envelopes on the table.

"I received two million taels and divided it into three. That's six hundred sixty-six thousand taels each."

Geom Woojin was the first to take an envelope containing a bank note, as if to make a point.

"Well done."

At that, Hwi dropped his concealment and revealed himself.

He truly found it unacceptable to receive the same amount as the Cult Leader, but the Cult Leader's command to take the money took precedence.

"Here, this is your share, Uncle."

"Thank you, Young Cult Leader-nim."

Hwi carefully tucked the envelope into his robes.

"Father, we should come out more often, if only for Hwi Uncle's sake. What's the use of having money? We don't have time to spend it."

Hwi gave an awkward laugh at Geom Mugeuk's words. Even without this money, he had accumulated a great deal of wealth over his lifetime serving the Divine Cult. However, just as Geom Mugeuk said, he had no time to spend it.

Geom Mugeuk turned to Yong Jamyeong, who was beside him.

"Could you give us a word on how to spend money?"

Yong Jamyeong paused for a moment at the sudden question. He could have spoken about money for three days and nights without rest, but since the Cult Leader was listening, he answered humbly.

"There are many people in the world who are good at making money, but those who are good at spending it are rare. I belong to the group that's good at making it, not the one that's good at spending it."

Then he asked for Geom Mugeuk's thoughts.

"Does the Young Cult Leader have any particular ideas?"

"What special way could I have? I suppose I'll have to find someone who's good at spending money and make them my subordinate. I'll have to give that subordinate the best treatment. That's about it."

"It seems you already knew the answer to spending money wisely."

The two men looked at each other and laughed.

Geom Mugeuk expressed his gratitude to Yong Jamyeong.

"This was all easy thanks to you, Director-nim."

Everything had progressed from the fact that the Director of the Milky Way Trading Company had come to see them in person. However, things going well also meant it was time for him to leave. Now that they had received money, it was time for him to depart.

Several days had passed beyond the initial three he had planned. He had pleasantly spent a few more days because Geom Woojin had asked him to stay a little longer.

It was truly a dream-like time. Geom Woojin had made a lot of time for him, and they had talked a great deal. The time he spent with him was truly enjoyable.

"This has been an unforgettable time in my life. If you need me again in the future, please call on me anytime."

"Let's do that."

It was Geom Woojin's final farewell to him.

"If you need us, contact us anytime."

What words in the world could be more reassuring?

His face filled with emotion, Yong Jamyeong bid his farewell.

"Then, please take care of yourself until we meet again."

Geom Mugeuk walked out to the main gate to see the departing Yong Jamyeong off.

"Thanks to you, I've fulfilled a long-held dream. I'm truly grateful."

"It was your good fortune, Director-nim. You were the one who remembered my father, after all."

He had desperately wanted to help him fulfill his long-cherished wish, and thankfully, things had worked out well. However, it wasn't a one-sided exchange.

"I'm truly grateful for the teachings you've shared."

At Geom Mugeuk's request, Yong Jamyeong had delivered a lecture on the affairs of the merchant world. This was because the enemy they had to face was a merchant family, and he thought the more they knew, the more advantageous their position in the fight would be.

Thanks to his lecture, Geom Mugeuk learned a great deal.

Give and take. Now it was his turn to give again.

"You should contact my father often."

"To the Cult Leader-nim?"

"He seemed to enjoy your company, Director-nim."

"If that's the case, then I'm truly glad."

"For your reference, my father enjoys Go. If you bring a nice Go board and stones the next time you see him, he'll be delighted."

"Thank you for telling me."

Yong Jamyeong stared at Geom Mugeuk for a moment.

He had seen the rumored Young Cult Leader, and now he could speak about him. He would say the rumors were downplayed. That the Young Cult Leader was underestimated.

After climbing into the carriage, Yong Jamyeong offered a final farewell.

"Be well."

The Young Cult Leader, who had worn a relaxed smile throughout his stay, was no exception at the very end.

"No final lecture?"

Though it was likely said in jest, Yong Jamyeong left him with words he wanted to share.

"Until the very moment you die, money will try to expose your true nature. Don't let that bastard find you out."

Baek Chong, who was riding with him, saw Yong Jamyeong lean his head out of the carriage to say farewell for the first time. Usually, once he was in the carriage, he would just sit there as Geom Mugeuk disappeared from sight.

He was always so sternly seated.

"I'm glad it ended safely."

Indeed, when they had come here, they had done so with a grim resolve, prepared to risk their lives.

However, the actual meeting with the Demonic Cult Leader had been a true rest, the first in a long time. This was true for Yong Jamyeong and for Baek Chong as well.

"I should see all the kids when I get back."

He couldn't even remember the last time he had a conversation with his sons. The Trading Company work was busy, and it was awkward when they actually met. Because he kept putting it off, even seeing their faces had become a chore.

Yet after meeting this father and son of the Heavenly Demon, he found himself missing his own children.

A thought suddenly occurred to Yong Jamyeong.

Perhaps this time, he had not only met an old benefactor but had also gained a new one.

"Prepare to return to the family."

After giving the order to Lim Hyuk, Geum Arin's heart was already pounding. She had started this affair with great momentum, but a scolding from her father was inevitable.

She had dreamt that they just took the money and vanished. She had another nightmare where they were pathetic when demonstrating their skills in front of her father. Plagued by nightmares, she had lost sleep.

"I'm going to meet him and arrange a departure time."

Just then, someone entered the room and announced, "There's no need for that."

Startled, she turned to see a man stepping inside. Geum Arin's expression hardened at the sight of him.

It was her second brother, Geum Ajong.

He was the person she had worried about most while executing her plan, and here he was, the first to appear.

He resembled Geum Arin and was quite handsome, but his personality fell short of his appearance. He was selfish, greedy, and filled with a burning desire for success.

"How did you get here?"

"How do you think? I came to stop the family's money from leaking away."

His swift arrival meant he had been watching her every move.

My Orabeoni is always just waiting for me to make a mistake.

Of her two brothers, Geum Ajong was particularly wary of her. He suspected that their father might one day bequeath the family to his daughter.

"Two million taels? You! Are you out of your mind?"

As expected, her brother had a precise grasp of the situation.

"And you don't even realize you've been played by a con artist."

"I'll take care of my own business. You should worry about yours, Orabeoni."

Geum Arin flinched at the term 'con artist'. It was a word she hadn't expected.

"A con artist?"

"You spent all that money without even properly investigating the other party, didn't you?"

She had no retort. This decision had been an instinctive one, relying entirely on her hunch.

"Did you know that the Western Blade Sect produced the winner at the Young Dragon Tournament hosted by the Murim Alliance?"

Geum Arin flinched. This was news to her. Until now, they had been a mysterious sect, but this made them a real one that had competed in the tournament.

She was just thinking that of course they would have won, since it was a tournament to identify a prodigy.

"He barely won after a fierce battle with the granddaughter of the Murim Alliance Chairman."

At those words, Geum Arin's heart sank.

He was evenly matched with the Murim Alliance Chairman's granddaughter?

No matter that she was the Chairman's granddaughter, she was still just a prodigy. A worry reared its head in a corner of her mind.

Could it be that he's all talk and his skills don't measure up?

Forcibly suppressing her surging anxiety, she said, "He still won, didn't he? He could have been hiding his true skills."

Geum Ajong, like a man who had been waiting for this very moment, raised his voice with a triumphant expression.

"What are you talking about? The man named Geom Yeon, to whom you gave two million taels, didn't even participate in the Young Dragon Tournament. The person who won the Young Dragon Tournament is named Seo Ryong."

"Then what about Geom Yeon?"

A statement like a bolt from the blue came from Geum Ajong's lips.

"Geom Yeon is Seo Ryong's attendant."

"!"

Geum Arin shot up from her seat, her pupils trembling.

That man… is an attendant?

"It's a well-known fact that the Murim Alliance Chairman's granddaughter caused a commotion by bringing an attendant and declaring she would marry him. That granddaughter must have been duped, just like you."

He treated him like a swindler who went around deceiving women. But what if it was true? What if he was really just an attendant?

The image of Geom Mugeuk surfaced in her mind. Was his inscrutable nature because he was a con artist? Were her nightmares becoming reality?

"I have to see him."

Geum Ajong stopped her as she tried to rush out.

"Don't be hasty. I've already sent people to retrieve the money."

Geum Arin was stunned.

"Who?"

"The Money Bugs went."

"No!"

The word burst from her lips.

The Money Bugs' original name was Hwanggeumchung, the Golden Insects. They were masters of the shadows, raised by the family for rough work.

They were typically assigned to tasks that could never see the light of day, such as hunting down and annihilating those who attacked the Trading Company, or fighting over vested interests when pioneering new commercial territories. In short, they handled the roughest and most dangerous jobs.

Because of this, they were haughty within the family. The regular workers and martial artists both feared and detested them.

The most frightening thing about the Money Bugs was that they would stop at nothing to achieve their objectives. They didn't even cherish their own lives. For that reason, though hated, they were also essential to the Golden Dragon Clan.

"They're all going to die."

"By whose hand? The attendant's?"

She was confused, but her faith in Geom Mugeuk remained strong.

"Yes, by the attendant's."

"Are you sick? Then again, you wouldn't have done this if you were in your right mind."

Geum Arin shot out of the residence. Geum Ajong kept pace with her using his movement arts.

"You're going to fall completely out of Father's favor over this."

Geum Ajong's words didn't reach her. Various scenes flashed through her mind.

She imagined Geom Mugeuk, a true con artist, lying dead after being brutally dealt with by the Money Bugs. Then she imagined them reporting that he had already fled.

On the other hand, she also pictured a scene where all the Money Bugs were dead, their corpses strewn about.

If he killed them all, her father would never forgive the Western Blade Sect. Her own plan to use them to become the successor would be ruined.

Every scenario she imagined was the worst possible outcome.

"Sending them without consulting me was your mistake, Orabeoni."

"You made the first mistake, giving them money without any consultation."

The two of them arrived at the manor where Geom Mugeuk was staying, running like the wind. It was quiet inside, as if the situation was already over.

As they cautiously approached the main gate, they heard a sound from within.

SWISH SWISH.

What is that sound?

It sounded like something sweeping the ground.

SCRUB SCRUB.

There was also the sound of something being wiped. Then, they heard a whispering voice.

Don't touch that.

Not only Geum Arin, but also the confident Geum Ajong, looked bewildered. He wondered if they had come to the wrong place.

"Is this the right place?"

"I'm certain."

Geum Arin cautiously opened the gate. As it swung open, a scene she could never have imagined unfolded before them.

The Money Bugs were sweeping the courtyard with brooms. Others were wiping down the walls with rags. They cleared away broken furniture and filled in holes in the ground.

Their eyes were blackened with bruises, and one man limped as he carried a load. Another, with a bandage wrapped around his forehead to staunch the flow of blood, was taking down a hammock that had been hung between the trees. Someone else was carrying luggage out from inside the building.

The Money Bugs froze, their gazes turning in unison toward the two people who had just entered. They all wore awkward and bewildered expressions.

Geum Ajong felt as if he were hallucinating.

"What in the world are you doing?" he demanded.

A Money Bug near the entrance bowed deeply in response. "He said they'll be leaving soon and told us to clean everything up nicely."

It was the first time the Money Bugs had ever worn such docile expressions.

"Who? Who in the world!"

Just then, Geom Mugeuk emerged from the building ahead. He saw Geum Arin and greeted her cheerfully.

"Thanks for sending over the cleaning crew."

In that moment, a wave of intense emotion washed over Geum Arin. All the terrible scenarios she had imagined on her way here were swept away by it.

She was so grateful that he had only beaten the Money Bugs and not killed them.

Whether he was an attendant or not no longer mattered. She wouldn't doubt him anymore.

Yes, my choice was the right one.

With a radiant expression, Geum Arin turned to Geum Ajong beside her.

"Thank you, Orabeoni. I just couldn't bring myself to make a two-million-nyang attendant do the cleaning."